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The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty

Rong‐An Shang (Department of Business Administration, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)
Yu‐Chen Chen (Department of Business Administration, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)
Hsueh‐Jung Liao (Department of Business Administration, Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China)

Internet Research

ISSN: 1066-2243

Article publication date: 1 August 2006

19150

Abstract

Purpose

To examine the effects of consumers' lurking and posting behaviors in virtual consumer communities on specific brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey of a virtual community of Apple computer users was conducted to test a model of involvement, participation, loyalty, trust, and attitudes toward the brand exist in messages within the community.

Findings

The causes and effects of lurking and posting differed. Lurking contributed to brand loyalty more than posting did, and the primary purpose of lurking was to look for information regarding product function/performance, instead of satisfying consumers' affective needs.

Research limitations/implications

As a result of the limitations in a computer mediated communication environment, virtual consumer communities should be perceived as an arena for weak‐tied strangers to communicate for word‐of‐mouth (WOM) behavior, rather than as a brand community.

Practical implications

Although negative messages in a community can hurt brand image, companies should encourage the establishment of communities about their products and encourage consumers to participate in them.

Originality/value

Although the importance of virtual communities has been recognized, few studies have been done to examine the business value of consumer communities. Based on perspectives of brand community and WOM behavior, this paper contributes to virtual community and marketing research by clarifying the effects of consumers' lurking and posting behaviors in a consumer community on brand loyalty.

Keywords

Citation

Shang, R., Chen, Y. and Liao, H. (2006), "The value of participation in virtual consumer communities on brand loyalty", Internet Research, Vol. 16 No. 4, pp. 398-418. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662240610690025

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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